[pct-l] Snow Course

[Kathryn Zimmerman]

Stephen, thanks for taking the time to give me such a wonderfully detailed
answer....decision made...go for it!

Step Lightly,
Bag Lady

On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 7:52 PM, Stephen Adams <reddirt2 at earthlink.net>wrote:

> Would you be comfortable heading into the high mountains knowing you'll be
> crossing snow banks and fields not having any experience?  Do you have
> experience with the proper use of an axe or pole/axe?  Will you be fine if
> it starts snowing in the Sierra or once you get to WA and the early storms
> start and you are two days from a reasonable trailhead/exit?  One hiker
> freaked out when they were in no real danger last year and set off a
> misplaced search and rescue operation.  Just sayin.  Ned has a lot of
> experience on snow, in snow, and loves helping people get useful information
> that is intended to make one more comfortable in a snowy environment.  If
> you have the time, I'd suggest signing up.  Any experience on snow will be
> helpful in feeling more comfortable when it is most important rather than
> finding out en-route that it's freaky and have it ruin your trip like some
> others who post here who probably should have got a little experience
> beforehand.  And there may well be plenty of snow in the So Cal mountains
> long before you cross the Mohave if things continue as they are currently
> progressing.  Maybe not.  Maybe all the snow will melt off both the south
> and north slopes of all the high passes long before you get there, but I
> doubt it.  There will be snow, and the trail will be covered in many
> sections, and it will cross the trail in a few steep places making one quite
> nervous who is not familiar with anything but plodding down easy carefree
> safe trails.  Thus if you have the time, or can make it, the worst that will
> happen if you go up to Ned's is that you will meet some nice folks and have
> a great weekend and a taste of real Sierra backcountry.  Then when you get
> back up there in June it will probably be more fun when you find yourself
> hung out on knee deep suncups having the time of your life rather than
> cursing and feeling trapped in the high lonesome.  The difference at Ned's
> will be that it will be more winter mountaineering and you will be camping
> on snow probably, whereas in June you wont have to camp on snow, but there
> will probably be sections where you may spend a lot of time on the snow,
> depending on the snow pack, in my experience, it is sometimes more fun to
> cross snow than worrying about finding the trail right away.
> As my own suggestion and you can take this with you on your trip...  When
> you get in the nasty slippery ankle twisting, mood killing suncups, slow
> down.  Just take it slow and know if you just relax and don't get irritated
> you'll get to the other side.  And then the other side of the next one
> etc...  Getting impatient will sap your energy like no tomorrow, and then
> you'll be one of those wiped out thru hikers Paul was talking about who
> thought they could pull twenty miles a day in the high country.  It's all
> about attitude.  It is an absolute gift to be able to get into the High
> Sierra in the early season before it gets crowded.
> Ned has also taught fast water fording seminar so you could probably glean
> a little helpful info on that too.
> Have fun.
> On Jan 20, 2010, at 1:16 PM, Kathryn Zimmerman wrote:
>
> > Has anyone taken the Snow Course mtnned offers?  Can you give me some
> > insight as to whether this is a good idea or just not.  I've hiked the
> AT,
> > but not done much in the mountains in serious snow.  And I'm thinking of
> > leaving Campo a couple of weeks ahead of the KO so that may mean I'm in
> the
> > Sierras a bit early, yes?
> >
> > "Hard tellin' not knowin'."  - my favorite Maine expression
> >
> > Bag Lady
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-- 
- Kathryn